Aldridge hoping win over Cavs carries over to game against surging Pelicans

Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge praises New Orleans star Davis.

Author:
David Flores

Published:03/01/18

A frown came across Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge's face when he was asked if he had studied game film of New Orleans All-Star Anthony Davis before Wednesday night's home game against New Orleans.

"Nah, because he doesn't play the game like a normal big," Aldridge said after the team's shootaround Wednesday morning. "He doesn't have a go-to move like that. He faces up and dribbles, fades away, and that type of stuff. So, there's not really much that you can watch."

Loading ...

The Spurs (35-26) play the Pelicans (34-26) at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the AT&T Center. New Orleans, which has won six in a row, is sixth in the Western Conference standings.

"It's a game," Aldridge said. "Just trying to get a win, trying to keep the momentum going forward. We had a good game in Cleveland, so just trying to have a carryover."

Aldridge had 27 points and six rebounds in Sunday's 110-94 victory over the Cavs. The win snapped a four-game skid for the Silver and Black, who are 2-6 in February.

Davis, a 6-foot-10 forward/center, had a monster game in New Orleans' 125-116 win over Phoenix on Monday, finishing with 53 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks.

Asked what the Spurs did well in the win over Cleveland that he hope will carry over, Aldridge said: "We followed the game plan well. Guys executed well and shooters, I think guys played with confidence, made shots. That always helps. I thought we just stayed with it."

Another start for Mills: Patty Mills will make his third consecutive start at shooting guard, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said in his pregame session with the media. Mills subbed for Danny Green on Friday night in Denver, when Green was ill with food poisoning.

Loading ...

Green was good to go Sunday against the Cavs, but Popovich opted to start Mills and bring Green off the bench. The move paid nice dividends,.

Mills scored 11 points and made two three-pointers and Green gave the team a boost off the bench, finishing with 22 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 5 of 9 from beyond the arc.

Popovich liked the change so much that he's sticking with it for now.

"He's a good shooter," Popovich said, when he was asked about Mills. "He helps us get off to a good start. Spreads the court for us."

Reserve Davis Bertans will start at center Wednesday night for Pau Gasol, who is out with a bone bruise in his left knee.

Gasol's knee bruise is "maybe somewhere in between" an injury that could keep him out for a while and one he could come back from quickly.

Obama to Spurs?: Popovich said it's "very flattering" that former president Barack Obama would want to sign a max contract with San Antonio if he were a free agent.

"I'd have to do a background check on him, because I've heard some things that he's done in the past that aren't very good," Popovich said, drawing a good laugh. "I can't remember where I heard that stuff. I'd have to do a background check to make sure he qualifies. I wouldn't be able to tell him too much. I don't know what his clearance would be."

Popovich smiled when a reporter suggested that maybe Obama could be another international player for the Spurs, an obvious dig at debunked stories that Obama was not born in the United States.

Pop praises Mills again: Popovich had good things to say about the way Mills handled the racial taunting he was subjected to late in Sunday's game in Cleveland.

"He responded very wisely, proportionately, intelligently," Popovich said of Mills. "Obviously, the individual (fan) is ignorant, but Patty handled it with class. People like that, you can't help them very much, so you have to basically call out and not laugh, but be almost bemused by how somebody could live X number of years and be that ignorant."

Loading ...

Courtside microphones picked up the voice of a man shouting at Mills, who was at the free-throw line with 2:29 left.

"It's always a learning lesson, I guess," Mills said Monday during an appearance for a Black History Month event at the San Antonio Museum of Art. "Last night's incident is something that's not new to me. I ignored a lot of stuff growing up as an indigenous Australian, and over here in the NBA as well. But last night's incident was just a mere example of stuff that still exists in sports today."

The man who taunted Mills has been banned from Quicken Loans Arena indefinitely. Cavaliers officials said this week that they'll review his status in one year.